Managing to outcomes is not about simply counting things or gathering information. And it is not about satisfying funders. It is an internal effort aimed at figuring out what works and what doesn't, so that the organization can provide the best possible services to its clients.

You have to have undying passion for the population you're serving. We can spend time patting ourselves on the back for the 85 percent of the kids who are doing really well in our program. But we need to be as concerned about the 15 percent who aren't succeeding and learn how we can improve for them.

One of our board members asked, 'This is so great that we're doing all these programs, that we're growing, and that we're serving all these [people], but are we making a difference? And how do we know we're making a difference?'